News Roundup: February 2023
Comment Period Extended on Proposal for USCIS Fee Increases
USCIS has proposed to increase its filing fees for nearly all applications. Under the proposed rule, employers who want to hire high-skilled foreign workers will pay 70% more for visa applications.
The public comment period for this proposed rule has been extended to March 13, 2023.
Green card applicants will pay 130% more, and costs will multiply if the person has dependent family members.
The proposed fee increases are concerning to families, businesses, and universities alike. It’s uncertain whether higher fees will solve major flaws in the current immigration system, such as inefficient case processing, outdated technology, understaffing, and excessive wait times.
Thousands of Ukrainians in Danger of Losing Their Status in April
Thousands of Ukrainian immigrants living in the U.S. may lose their legal status because they came here during a brief window when there was no long-term plan in place to receive them. During this 10-day period last April, these families were given one year to live in the U.S., but the government had not formed a plan for long-term resettlement. That one-year period will soon end, and the government has not announced if it will renew.
Could Temporary Protected Status (TPS) be an option for you?
TPS is a temporary status given to eligible nationals of designated countries who are present in the U.S. when situations in their home country make it unsafe to return, such as armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. TPS allows you to live and work in the U.S. temporarily. Countries can be designated for TPS for 6 to 18 months and can be extended for many years.
As of December 2022, the following countries are currently designated for TPS:
Afghanistan
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
El Salvador
Ethiopia
Haiti
Honduras
Ukraine
Nepal
Venezuela
Nicaragua
Yemen
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syria
To qualify for TPS, you must:
Be a national of a country designated for TPS, or a person without nationality who last habitually resided in the designated country
File during the open initial registration or re-registration period for your country of nationality, or meet the requirements for late initial filing during any extension of the TPS designation
Have been continuously physically present in the United States since the specified; and
Have continuously maintained a residence in the United States since the date specified
Contact us today to see whether you may be eligible for TPS.
